Claim profile
2000–1001 BC

The 2nd millennium BC

Whose working lives fell in the 2nd millennium BC. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 2nd millennium BC, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇪🇬 Egypt🇨🇳 China🇮🇱 Israel🇬🇧 United Kingdom
FieldAllHistorical FiguresPoliticiansReligious FiguresWritersModelsArtistsAcademicsArchitectsScientistsMusicians
  1. 1DavidDavid1039 BC–969 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  2. 2HammurabiHammurabi1810 BC–1750 BC · Historical Figures15 decades
  3. 3Amenhotep IIIAmenhotep III1400 BC–1351 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures15 decades
  4. 4Ramesses IIIRamesses III1217 BC–1155 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures7 decades
  5. 5NefertariNefertari1290 BC–1255 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  6. 6Ramesses IRamesses I1300 BC–1290 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures0 decades
  7. 7Ahmose IAhmose I1560 BC–1525 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  8. 8AyAy1400 BC–1400 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  9. 9King Wu of ZhouKing Wu of Zhou1150 BC–1043 BC · 🇨🇳 China · Historical Figures2 decades
  10. 10TiyeTiye1398 BC–1338 BC · 🇪🇬 Egypt · Historical Figures5 decades
  11. 11Amenhotep IIAmenhotep II1401 BC–1401 BC · Historical Figures11 decades
  12. 12Nebuchadnezzar INebuchadnezzar I1200 BC–1104 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  13. 13Ramesses VIRamesses VI1175 BC–1136 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  14. 14Ramesses XIRamesses XI1200 BC–1077 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  15. 15Šuppiluliuma IŠuppiluliuma I1375 BC–1335 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  16. 16Ramesses VRamesses V1200 BC–1145 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  17. 17Ramesses VIIIRamesses VIII1200 BC–1129 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  18. 18Ramesses IXRamesses IX1150 BC–1111 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  19. 19Tiglath-Pileser ITiglath-Pileser I1200 BC–1076 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  20. 20Ḫattušili IIIḪattušili III1300 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  21. 21Ramesses VIIRamesses VII1150 BC–1129 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  22. 22Muwatalli IIMuwatalli II1300 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  23. 23Ramesses XRamesses X1150 BC–1107 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  24. 24NeferneferuatenNeferneferuaten1400 BC–1400 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  25. 25KiyaKiya1400 BC–1400 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  26. 26Tukulti-Ninurta ITukulti-Ninurta I1300 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  27. 27Shalmaneser IShalmaneser I1400 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  28. 28Shamshi-Adad IShamshi-Adad I1860 BC–1776 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  29. 29Suppiluliuma IISuppiluliuma II1300 BC–1200 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  30. 30Samsu-ilunaSamsu-iluna1792 BC–1712 BC · Historical Figures2 decades
  31. 31Fu HaoFu Hao1300 BC–1200 BC · Historical Figures2 decades
  32. 32TushrattaTushratta1500 BC–1340 BC · Historical Figures5 decades
  33. 33King Wen of ZhouKing Wen of Zhou1112 BC–1050 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  34. 34Ḫattušili IḪattušili I1700 BC–1620 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  35. 35The Younger LadyThe Younger Lady1370 BC–1330 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  36. 36Ashur-uballit IAshur-uballit I1400 BC–1318 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  37. 37Adad-nirari IAdad-nirari I1400 BC–1274 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  38. 38Sumu-abumSumu-abum2000 BC–1960 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  39. 39Jie of XiaJie of Xiaborn 1728 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  40. 40Tudhaliya IVTudhaliya IV1300 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  41. 41HorHor1800 BC–1800 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  42. 42Osorkon the ElderOsorkon the Elder1100 BC–986 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  43. 43Sin-MuballitSin-Muballit1850 BC–1793 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  44. 44Šarru-kên IŠarru-kên I1900 BC–1900 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  45. 45Sumu-la-ElSumu-la-El1850 BC–1845 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  46. 46TTelepinu1600 BC–1600 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  47. 47Merneferre AyMerneferre Ayborn 1650 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  48. 48Tudhaliya ITudhaliya I1500 BC–1400 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  49. 49Ashur-bel-kalaAshur-bel-kala1200 BC–1056 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  50. 50UUrhi-Tesub1400 BC–1267 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  51. 51Labarna ILabarna I1650 BC–1600 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  52. 52Rim-Sin IRim-Sin I1850 BC–1763 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  53. 53SSamsu-Ditana1700 BC–1600 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  54. 54Shutruk-NahhunteShutruk-Nahhunte1300 BC–1165 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  55. 55AAbi-Eshuh1800 BC–1700 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  56. 56BeketatenBeketaten1400 BC–1400 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  57. 57PentawerPentawer1173 BC–1155 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  58. 58AIArnuwanda I1500 BC–1370 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  59. 59NNinurta-apal-Ekur1300 BC–1200 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  60. 60Ashurnasirpal IAshurnasirpal I1100 BC–1060 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  61. 61Eriba-Adad IEriba-Adad I1400 BC–1366 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  62. 62Meli-Shipak IIMeli-Shipak II1300 BC–1200 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  63. 63NebetahNebetahborn 1350 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  64. 64Ahmose InhapyAhmose Inhapy1600 BC–1600 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  65. 65Ashur-resh-ishi IIAshur-resh-ishi II1100 BC–967 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  66. 66SabiumSabium1900 BC–1831 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  67. 67AApil-Sin1890 BC–1813 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  68. 68Ammi-DitanaAmmi-Ditana1700 BC–1700 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  69. 69King Cheng of ZhouKing Cheng of Zhou1100 BC–1021 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  70. 70ATAnkhesenpaaten Tasheritborn 1350 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  71. 71KuruntaKurunta1300 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  72. 72Enlil-nadin-apliEnlil-nadin-apli1200 BC–1100 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  73. 73AArtashumaraborn 1350 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  74. 74PPithana1800 BC–1800 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  75. 75HenutmireHenutmire1300 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  76. 76ZZannanza1350 BC–1320 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  77. 77Sobekhotep VISobekhotep VI1700 BC–1700 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  78. 78SIShuttarna II1350 BC–1375 · Historical Figures0 decades
  79. 79MMutakkil-Nusku1200 BC–1200 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  80. 80SShattiwaza1400 BC–1400 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  81. 81SShaushtatar1440 BC–1415 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  82. 82Erishum IErishum I2000 BC–1900 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  83. 83ZambiyaZambiya2000 BC–2000 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  84. 84AArik-den-ili1400 BC–1360 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  85. 85AIAshur-dan I1300 BC–1200 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  86. 86Tudhaliya IIITudhaliya III1350 BC–1350 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  87. 87SIShalmaneser II1100 BC–1019 BC · Historical Figures6 decades
  88. 88EIErishum IIborn 1850 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  89. 89HIHuzziya II1500 BC–1500 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  90. 90Naram-Sin of AssyriaNaram-Sin of Assyria1900 BC–1900 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  91. 91Arnuwanda IIArnuwanda II1400 BC–1400 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  92. 92EEnlil-nirari1400 BC–1307 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  93. 93Zidanta IZidanta I1600 BC–1600 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  94. 94AlaksanduAlaksandu1300 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  95. 95AIArnuwanda III1300 BC–1207 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  96. 96MTMeritaten Tasheritborn 1350 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  97. 97TiaTia1307 BC–1300 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  98. 98SemenkareSemenkare1800 BC–1800 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—
  99. 99AbisareAbisare2000 BC–1900 BC · Historical Figures0 decades
  100. 100Nebiryraw INebiryraw I1700 BC–1600 BC · Historical Figuresnot measured—

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.